What comfort can Arthur give?
by Autuus
Summary: The King reached his hand - pulled him closer - spoke with words the servant couldn't misunderstand. - 'He's not coming back.'


"Does Merlin know?" The King frowned.  
>"My Lord, no." The Knight bowed.<br>"Then bring him to me before telling him." The King ordered.  
>"Most immediately." The knight nodded.<p>

So was the poor servant brought upon his King, resting on the throne, his lips pressed quite thin.

"What's the meaning of this?" the servant came quietly.  
>"Others leave! It's my wish." The King Spoke abruptly.<br>The room emptied the way it was filled, with arouse that vanished into quietness.

"Merlin." The King started.  
>"My Lord." his servant followed.<br>Silence fell upon those two, King not knowing what to say or how, his servant wondering what was it this time around.  
>Would he get sacked now?<p>

"Merlin." The King tried again, his eyes not meeting with Merlin's.  
>The servant nodded in vain, The King's tone too earnest.<br>"Do speak sire. I am by no means deaf. You can play with fire, I am not that weak."  
>"You do not know what you say. Your words are arrogant but brave. But this is not about having courage. This is a matter of delicacy. You were left a message, one of utmost importancy."<br>"I am all ears."  
>"It might bring you tears."<br>"If the sky is to fade to gray, then I will take it, it's all okay."

The King sighed at Merlin's bravery, a fool, maybe, but by no means ordinary.  
>"This is about Gaius you see."<br>"He should come back today. When will we meet?"

Jubilantly maybe querying, soon faded into fear.

"That.. Is the problem."  
>"Are we out of horses? I swear, I did not let them out of leash again."<br>"No Merlin-"  
>"If you're going to sack me again, then do it now, I don't need the scolding, that only Gaius is allowed."<br>"You promised you'd be all ears." The King sighed.  
>"Not if you don't turn down the gears." Merlin huffed.<p>

"Come here." The King lowered.  
>"Why?" came the silent whisper.<br>The King reached his hand, pulled him closer, spoke with words the servant couldn't misunderstand.

"He is not coming back."

Merlin froze, feeling as if stabbed, trying to oppose, when Arthur held his back.  
>"He cannot- why would he?"<br>"He was caught, drowned in the sea."  
>The King's tone was barely audible, feeling his friend breaking down, inexpressible.<br>''I'm sorry." he whispered, not knowing whether Merlin heard.

It was a gamble of good and evil, The King knew very well. His servant was but a pawn, soon in his grief will he dwell.  
>Had the council members not aroused in, would the soothing silence comforted Merlin, but so it happened, and so the story goes.<p>

"My Lord, if I may." said one of the oldest.  
>"Do speak ahead. Don't delay." The King a bit bitter, his servant now stepping away.<p>

It was certainly not a blissful day.

If Merlin decided to flee, The King had no way to stop him.  
>Damn the olders, always interrupting.<p>

"Sire, we must discuss with the Knights, some of them are out of Kingdom and it's Cedric's night tonight."  
>"Not important." the King announced, his mind not set up for such.<br>"But sire, we might die!"  
>"By whom, if I may ask? The walls of Camelot are tall and the Knights know their tasks."<br>"But some are not here!"  
>"The are never all there. They are human, they need rest. Some of them are young and doing their best."<br>"But Sire-!"  
>"Enough! I am done here, be gone!"<br>"My Lord, we need to talk-"  
>"No we do not-"<p>

Then Merlin broke apart, ran out of the room, hastily banging the door.

Silence fell upon the crowd, Merlin's hasteful steps echoing trough the halls.

"Thank you very much, I must go get him." The King hissed.  
>"Why care? He is but a servant." the council opposed.<br>"He lost someone important, he is but alright!"  
>"You most not note him, his feelings he must fight. He is your servant, nothing else. If Uther was here, he'd be long beheaded."<p>

The King was shocked by the cruel words of the member. The same around had been with her, the queen of King Arthur, married by love, not by being told now the one The King held so dear, having him to disappear, only gave him fear, but the arrogance and ignorance of the council, would not go by so easily, The King burst raging.

"If I cannot comfort my servant in his hours of grief, how can I the whole lot of Camelot, when all you test is my good will?"  
>"We-"<br>"But _you!_" The King fused.  
>"Ashamed be all of you! One of your friends have lost his<em> life,<em> and all you do is stand tall and_ bright?_"  
>"My Lord-"<br>"Not _a word_from your mouth! I will not hear this, I stand my ground. You're testing my patience!"

The Council had silently listened as the King had done his speech.  
>They knew it was a bad moment, and so decided to flee.<p>

The King left the throne, his heart breaking apart. Merlin was a fool, but he had a golden heart. No one else was to make him cry. Not like this, not so cruelly. He felt his own throat choke, not knowing how to soothe dearest one thoroughly.  
>The King searched the castle, every room every wardrobe, every whole capable of crawling. He ran through the halls, the rooms the doors, under table under bed, no sign of movement yet.<br>His castle he then cursed, so wide and open, checking every childhood hideout he used to play.

No sign of his friend.  
>Not a stir to be heard.<br>Not a heartbeat of a broken, not a silent cry.

The King's worry level now high.

"Screw the castle, he must be outside. He mustn't have left for Ealdor, he wouldn't reach it alive."  
>The King started running, did he not stop, when in the darkness of night, he heard a silent sob.<br>Barely audible, barely heard.

There it was, the one he loved the most.  
>Broken, in pieces, waiting for Arthur.<br>And here he was.

Not a spoken word was exchanged when The King sat down. He tucked Merlin closer, his hand held out. Merlin grasped it tenderly, his hands quite shaking, oh how he wished it was not true, too much for him to take in.  
>Then The King did what learned from the servant himself, gently caressing his hair, head against his chest. He made Merlin feel safe, comforting him in his own way, hearing the silent and compressed sobs, made his own heart weigh.<p>

The King took his other hand, gently wiping away the tears, new ones flowing, all of them, wiping away.  
>The bright moon shone in the clear sky, revealing the sorrowful eyes, hearing the silent cry.<br>Arthur more sorry he had ever been, quite angry and sad, the feelings covered unseen.

Merlin pressed closer, feelings his chest tight and broken. Arthur pressed his cheek against Merlin's hair, caressing, soothing, warming the cold air.  
>Soft words did he then speak, so low, so gentle, gave a silent peak, his eyes quite tender.<br>''I will heal all the hurt and wounds.''  
>''This deep I'm cut, I'm not healing at all soon.'' words wavering, Arthur had a hard time hearing.<br>Instead of replying, Arthur held him, tight, so tight Merlin might break, neither of them cared, they both just wanted to wake.  
>A nightmare, sad and shattered, feeling weak, none of it didn't matter.<p>

Merlin felt Arthur's warmth, his chest follow and hard, Arthur's presence easing his heart, he was there, he wouldn't leave.  
>He wouldn't, he couldn't, he was his and him he wanted. Needed.<br>Arthur took Merlin's face in his hands, placed feathery kisses on his tears, kissing away all the bad, gradually fading all the fears.  
>Held him close, held him soft, Merlin would heal, even if not soon.<p>

Merlin held his eyes closed, tears flowed, gracefully chose his savior by heart.

New day lit upon those two, sunlight brighter than it had long been, today they would survive too, even if future was blurry and yet to be seen.

It was Arthur after all, who gave Merlin hope in times when he had none.


End file.
